


Infinite Fate

by Sahqoyoltaasah



Category: Date A Live, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014), IS: Infinite Stratos
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Friendship, Multiple Crossovers, Mystery, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26936299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sahqoyoltaasah/pseuds/Sahqoyoltaasah
Summary: Emiya Shirou is tasked with investigating a rumor centered around the IS Academy while maintaining the secret of magecraft. Yet, the life of the future Wrought-Iron Hero can’t ever be as simple as it seems. A life of secrets, spirits, and machines awaits.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Infinite Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the properties portrayed throughout this story. This crossover will contain major spoilers from the original source materials and other related works.

I sat in the office of a Lord of the Clock Tower. As expected of most mages, the furniture in the room was antique and worn with age. It was a room I had become familiar with upon my returns, seeing as that this was one of the few Lords that found me tolerable, but only to a certain extent. Still, it was through him that I received most of the missions that dragged me across the world.

It's the same story as always, the higher-ups pushing their busy work off to someone of lower rank – not that I particularly cared. In fact, I found it to be beneficial. More times than not, the jobs that I undertook were grunt work. A rogue mage making trouble, reports of lower-class phantasmal beasts in the mountains, or sniffing out any rumors that may reveal the secret of magecraft. Most mages would rather deal with the source directly and let the aftermath be dealt with by someone else. I, on the other hand, tried to take a different approach to these situations.

It wasn't too uncommon for me to gone for long periods of time when out finishing my missions. My missions became increasingly difficult and took exceedingly longer whenever innocent people were involved. Usually, it was due to the fact that I had to deal with the aftermath and ensuring that whatever problem arose wouldn't come back.

The Clock Tower seldom involves itself in the affairs of other mages and allows them to continue their research unimpeded on the agreement that magecraft must be kept secret from the rest of the world. No one was exempt from the rule and the Clock Tower made sure to make an example of anyone that would threaten the status quo. Which is why I was hesitant upon my return. While my actions hadn't endangered the secret of magecraft, it was clear that I had made myself a target of the world's attention.

While the society of magus' continued in their pursuit of knowledge of magecraft, the rest of the world marveled at the advancements of technology. The Infinite Stratos, to the best of my knowledge, is a technological miracle. Humanity as a whole only continued to advance their understanding of the scientific world. So far, both societies appear to be woefully ignorant of one another. The only concern of a magus is to continue their family's mystery and anything that is unrelated is irrelevant in their eyes.

It is only due to many families being so secretive of their magic and refusing to interact with the world as a whole that both societies haven't had much if any interaction. It's probably for the best, I think to myself. The outlash that would occur if such a thing were to happen would be disastrous if nothing else. It was only when Rin had informed me that it was safe to return that I made my way back to England. Apparently, there was already a new mission assigned to me. While neither Rin nor the Lord that is assigning the mission has given me any details, it isn't difficult to imagine what it might entail considering the position I am now stuck in.

The door opens to reveal a Lord of the Clock Tower – El Melloi II, or as he was other wisely known, Waver. The ever-permanent scowl on his face slightly eases as he makes his way towards his desk. Directly behind him followed a shorter individual carrying a small birdcage at their side. A gray cloak obscured their face as they quietly make their way towards their Lord's side. The sight wasn't too uncommon. While there is still an air of mystery as to who exactly kept the sleep-deprived Lord company, it has become commonplace enough that nobody no longer questioned it.

The smell of nicotine fills the room as Waver lights a cigar and places it in between his lips. With a large breath, a puff of smoke escapes. Then, Waver focused his attention on me.

I wouldn't consider the relationships between the two of us as strained, but I also wouldn't consider ourselves friends. Waver isn't considered the most practical magus even among the most eccentric mages in the Clock Tower, which leads to part of the reason why he had even bothered to offer me work in the first place. It just so happened that our goals aligned well enough that we could come to an agreement of a joint-partnership of sorts.

It's difficult to strike up a conversation with most of the magus's in the Clock Tower and Waver is no exception – not that I would consider myself a shining example of social interaction.

It is easier to discuss the details of the missions he assigns me and find ways of solving the problem at hand than it is to try to understand him on a personal level. For better or worse, this routine becomes commonplace for both of us.

"Well, you've definitely made a name for yourself now, haven't you?"

A strained smile forms over my face. Even I have to admit at this point that trouble just seems to follow me at every turn.

It probably doesn't help considering the situations I willingly throw myself into. However, the problem I'm finding myself in probably trumps all others.

"I'd like to think it just comes with the job."

Waver lets out a sigh as he attempts to organize the mess on his desk. The violent rustling of papers stops the conversation before Waver addresses me once again.

"It was a simple reconnaissance mission and yet you had to fight your way through an entire compound of armed soldiers. And to top it all off, you manage to steal one of the most advanced pieces of technology that the world has to offer. That isn't even to begin with the fact that you were observed during your escape piloting said piece of technology."

"Things got out of hand," I responded plainly.

Waver lets out an exasperated sigh as he hands a document towards his assistant who then makes their way to hand it to me. I look over the document as Waver began to explain its contents.

"Generally, the rest of the Lords could care less with what is happening to the rest of the world, but something has caught one of their attention. The IS Academy is one of the few locations in the world where the Mage's Association doesn't have a foothold. Most couldn't care less what advancements technology has made and the inception of the IS was so recent that not many have even had a chance to take notice. To call this situation an emergency would be a stretch, but once someone in the Clock Tower with enough influence sets their mind on something, it is difficult to dissuade them."

I search throughout the document for what exactly it would require of me.

For the most part, the whole thing was a mess of conjecture and theorizing. Sections of it were ramblings that continued into long tangents of the incorporation of technology into the practice of magecraft. Not surprisingly, there isn't anything that reveals how such a thing could happen. Mages keep their secrets close and didn't disclose anything they didn't have to.

"So, I'm just supposed to be present there?"

"For the most part. You will be required to send in monthly reports of what occurs and if there's anything that is cause for concern. But, for the most part, the details of how you go about it are up to you."

"I've got to admit, I don't think this mission is ideal for my specific skill-set. Am I just supposed to act as an informant for the next five years?"

"Five years or however long it takes to get someone else to replace you. It could be five years, it could be ten years, or it could be a month from now."

Waver leans back in his chair before continuing.

"This will be a developing situation as time passes and it's one that you can't get out of. You are backed into a corner in this situation. Not only is there a high-ranking member of the Clock Tower that is personally requesting for this to be done, the world's governments all know about you and the stunt that you pulled."

Waver reaches into his coat pocket and throws several photographs on his desk. It only takes a glance for me to realize what they were. These were the first images taken from a news station of me piloting the IS in broad daylight. It wasn't so much piloting as it was me trying not to crash face-first into the ground.

"The IS has only ever been piloted by females, then you come along and shatter their entire understanding of the damned machine." Waver pointed out. "Lucky for you, you haven't been the only one nor the first to break the status quo. If you were, then a Sealing Designation would have definitely been placed on your head."

I grimace at the thought. It is true that if I turned out to be the only male in the world that could pilot the IS, a lot more attention would have been placed on me – something the Mage's Association could not tolerate considering my relation to the Clock Tower.

Too many eyes would turn towards me and too many would be looking at my past. Truthfully, I'm surprised I haven't been captured at this point. Part of me is still expecting a group of Enforcers to come knocking down the door any second.

"While you may have been 'invited' to the IS Academy, you would be a fool if you think it's anything less than a demand. Normally, the Clock Tower wouldn't willingly send one of their own to be purposely researched, however, their confident that not even the best scientist could discern anything remotely off about you."

I try to come up with an excuse, anything that might get me out of this entire mess but come up with nothing.

While lost in my own thought, Waver's assistant approaches me and wordlessly offers a cup of tea. Dragging myself out of a stupor I politely accept the tea while acknowledging that there was indeed nothing I could do. Maybe going back to school wouldn't be so bad?  


* * *

I turn the key and a satisfying click rings as I lock the door in front of me. The first rays of sunlight wash over the gates as I stand there and contemplate how long it has been since I had last been back home. I turn over the key in my hand and note the rust that has begun to form. Now, I am forced to leave, once again.

With nothing to gain from standing around, I begin to make my way towards the city.

Truly, it's been a while since I've been back in Japan and much less Fuyuki. Either way, it's comforting to be back in more familiar territory. It's been a little over four years now since I've last been back home. Nostalgia washes over me as I walk the same streets that I had when growing up. Even as the world continues to change and move forward, the same paved path is laid out in front of me. Memories both bitter and joyous flood my head as I think back to the events of the Grail War and how much it has changed my life. It would be nothing but the truth to say that I am only where I am now because of what happened in that terrible war.

It wasn't long afterward that I was employed by the Clock Tower. No doubt to get me killed before I proved to be too much of an inconvenience. The missions they send me on border on the suicidal and I was sure that I was never expected to come back alive. However, the dangers that I encountered would have only caused more trouble had I not intervened. Still, I was able to make a difference here and there, so I didn't end up complaining too much. However, it was on one of these missions that have ended me in this predicament in the first place.

I let out a sigh. There isn't anything that can be done now, I suppose.

According to Rin, I should be able to take a train straight from Fuyuki to the academy. At most, it should only take an hour or so to arrive. It almost seems as if it was fate for me to be sent to the academy.

Things can be worse; I think to myself. It doesn't take long for me to regret those words.

There's the smell of rust in the air. Normally, I wouldn't give it a second thought. My whole life revolves around steel so it isn't such a strange of an odor for me. However, something is off. There's a tinge of magic ingrained in it.

My pace comes to a halt as I try to track the source.

It can end up being nothing. The scent isn't particularly strong. Whatever the source is, it could have just been passing by. Which can explain why the scent isn't as potent. In that case, it will be impossible to find and most likely not worth pursuing. However, before I know it, I'm already making my way towards the source.

With the long history of the Grail Wars, the existence of magic in Fuyuki isn't something new. The ritual can only take place in one of a few key locations. This is assuming that this has anything to do with the Grail in the first place. It could be a random magus or low-level phantasmal beast for all I know. However, as things stand, there is no one in the city that can handle the situation if it ended up being dangerous.

I start running towards the direction of the scent. The concrete pavers underneath me crack as I reinforce my body to increase my speed. It is early enough in the morning that there wouldn't be anyone to witness my little spectacle.

I move in-between the alleys of several homes. Leaping over any obstacles that appear in my way. However, the more I try to hone in on the scent, the farther away it appears to get. I'm at the edge of a forested area before something else catches my attention.

The Matou residence comes into view and a slew of emotions wash over me. Slowly, I come to a complete stop as I look over the housing in front of me. I debate whether or not I should visit Sakura. I wouldn't say that we left on bad terms the last time I saw her. I still consider her a friend despite not having contacted her these past years. I wonder if she still has the spare key I gave her. There is a doorbell adjacent to the gates. My finger hovers over the button. I'm not entirely sure how long I've been standing here.

It isn't until I remember why I was here in the first place that I take a step back. Closing my eyes, I focus on the origin of the smell. It isn't long before I have to give up; the source is long gone. A sigh of annoyance escapes my lips. I scratch the back of my head as I think about what to do.

There isn't much else I can do now.

It would probably be too much of an annoyance to call out for her so early in the day. It's been years since I last saw her, I couldn't even be sure if she still lived here. That in combination with the fact that I would once again become indisposed for the foreseeable future made my decision clear. Maybe when things start to die down, I could make an effort to truly visit Fuyuki again.

Left with few options, I start to make my way towards the train station. As much as it irks me, I'll just have to trust that this was a one-off occurrence. Hopefully, that's all it was.  


* * *

The train ride was uneventful. The landscape gracefully moves past my view as I contemplate the past few weeks. Just how complicated did my life have to become for me to end up where I am now? It was as Waver mentioned, a standard reconnaissance mission, what he failed to mention was that it was in the middle of the Libyan Desert.

During my mission, the only relief I would find from the scorching sun would be the occasional arid breeze. The coarse, rough sand radiated back an extraordinary amount of heat. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, instead, a brilliant blue sky that enveloped the horizon. Nevertheless, I continued forward, one step at a time.

Suddenly, the ground beneath me shook violently; knocking me off my feet. The shifting sands threatened to swallow me whole. I reached out in an attempt to grab a hold of anything but failed to do so. My vision blurred as specks of sand fell into my eyes. Then, out of nowhere, the ground beneath me opened up. Without warning, I landed with a loud thud on a metal surface. There was a ringing in my ear as pain surged through my body. I let out a low groan as I tried to pick myself up.

Slowly, I begun to take notice of my surroundings. That is until the screaming of an alarm let out a deafening sound. Quickly, I forced myself to get back up – the hard metal surface beneath me beginning to heat up due to the blazing sun outside. Sunlight burned my eyes as I attempted to gain a better understanding of my surrounding. However, the first thing I noticed is that I was surrounded. From the shadows, soldiers equipped with mechanized armor crept forward – closing the distance between me and them.

It was such a terrible situation to be in.

I unsheathed a copy of Kanshou and Bakuya from their scabbards on either side of my waist. It was a practice I had gotten accustomed to whenever I was out on missions. I couldn't always discern whether or not my enemies knew of magic or not. If not, then it was a simple way of having a set of weaponry at my side without needing to trace something out in the open.

For a moment, the soldiers hesitated but continued moving forward all the same. I knew that holding my ground could not be an option, especially when I didn't know how many more enemies I could be facing. It ended up being a battle of information. I didn't know what they were capable of and they didn't know what I could be capable of. If nothing else, I could see how much my sudden appearance startled them. Not that it had stopped them from encircling me.

I held a defensive position. The gap between the soldiers and I was slowly closing. It appeared that I was in some form of a military base as there were militarized vehicles throughout the room. The hangar doors above me were still open, however the distance between me and my escape far exceeded my own capabilities. The open sky above mocked me – so close, yet so far.

The deafening alarm stopped – silence reigned. At that moment, the soldiers that were approaching me came to a halt. I held my breath for a moment. I could feel the sweat trickle down my face as I steeled myself for what was about to happen. Then, a shadow was cast over me and I quickly turned to find the source. That was when I saw her.

Flying above the open hangar was a woman with pale skin and long flowing blonde hair. Mechanical, platinum wings spreading out from her back elevated her off the ground. Pauldrons with three blades jutting from the end cover her upper arms and a tasset draped the sides of her legs. A synthetic mesh clung tightly to her body, which left little to the imagination. I couldn't blame others if they were to mistake her for an angel, but the threat she posed was too jarring.

Lilac eyes bore into golden amber as the woman gracefully descended onto the ground.

Upon landing, she immediately reached behind her to pull out a hilt before activating it. A thin blade made of pure energy emerged with its tip landing a hair-width away from my neck. While not being a traditional blade, I could still discern its name – Caledfwlch. With little to no options, I wondered whether or not I should even try to reason with the soldiers surrounding me. This thought was quickly thrown out the window when the woman began to speak.

"What are you doing here?"

It wasn't so much a question but a demand. All the while, her blade was ready to strike me down if I were to give her an unsatisfactory answer. I held my hands up, allowing Kanshou and Bakuya to fall harmlessly onto the ground in order to appear less threatening to deescalate the situation. However, in the back of my mind, I was already preparing for the threat right in front of me.

"I didn't mean to be here… it was an accident."

An awkward silence filled the room. Suffice it to say, my communication skills weren't always the best. Nevertheless, I continued to meet the gaze of the woman in front of me. So far, it appeared that none of the other soldiers had made a move to apprehend me, but I wasn't confident that it would last long.

"It's going to take a better lie than that if you are trying to convince me." An exhausted sigh escaped her lips. "I'm guessing either the Institute horribly underestimates us or you're just that much of an idiot."

"I'm not part of the 'Institute,' I promise you."

Mention of the 'Institute' gave me both a sense of relief and terror. If the woman was referring to the Atlas Institute, one of the Mage's Association's three branches, then I wouldn't have to hold back and hide my magical abilities. Likewise, the amount of danger I was in increased exponentially.

The woman's eyes widen slightly. It was unclear to me what exactly was going through her mind. Then, it all clicked together. Her demeanor turned into one of annoyance. She stored Caledfwlch back into its sheathe before she turned around and walked away. However, she stopped for a moment to address me.

"Then, you aren't just an idiot, but a fool." The woman turned to address the surrounding soldiers and gave them one final command. "Fire."

From all sides, the barrels of various armaments locked onto me.

Enlarged steel broadswords materialized between the soldiers and me moments before the sound of gunfire erupted. Flashes of light erupted from the muzzle of the guns being fired as an onslaught of bullets crashed down on me. I held my position for as long as I could, but I knew that the situation couldn't go on for too long. In an act of desperation, I overload the swords surrounding me with an excess amount of prana which forced the swords to explode.

Before I am able to relive the rest of the battle, I am brought back to the present when a speaker announces that I have reached my destination. Slowly, the train comes to a stop and a light turns on to signal to the passengers that it is time to depart. It takes me a moment to gather my things before exiting. It's difficult having my life revolving around battle and then coming back to something normal. At times, I find myself revisiting my previous battles for no other reason than to prepare for my next – leaving no time for anything else.

If nothing else, I can't help but wonder just how I will fare in my next journey.  


* * *

242:16:20:07

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 4,013  
> Publish Date: 10/10/20  
> Revision Date: -
> 
> Author's Notes: What's up, guys. I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. I've had a blast planning out this story despite all the revisions I've made and will continue to make. I'm not sure how I would scale how well written this chapter is because I'm trying out something different. So, please, let me know if things made sense or if there's anything you think should be changed.
> 
> Before going any further, I'd like to disclaim that I've made some changes to the canon of each series to help the worlds be cohesive. This story is going to follow the logic of 'it's always been there in the background' type of writing and it's only now that these characters get to interact. So, some lore sacrifices had to be made for the story to work.
> 
> One of said changes will be the age of most of the characters from Infinite Stratos. I don't know about you, but I personally don't think it makes sense to give the equivalent of high school freshmen machines of war. To make things easier, just take the canon age of the IS characters and up it by three years. But for the most part, the age change is just an excuse for me to be able to make ships. There, I said it.
> 
> There is at least one lore reason as to why I'm doing this, but that's a story for another time.
> 
> Finally, onto what I am imaging for this particular story. In the original draft of this story, it was only going to be a crossover between Fate/Stay Night and Infinite Stratos. One of my major goals was to give our harem protagonists a break and for them to take comfort in the fact that they share the same pain. Eventually, I incorporated Date a Live into the situation.
> 
> I struggled to find a balance between which aspects of the story should be highlighted. I'm still editing the overall plan I have set in place. I started setting up some major plot points for later on in the story. Some will get developed faster than others, but all will eventually lead to one another.
> 
> That's all I have for now. Let me know what you thought. If you have any suggestions/criticisms feel free to message me or leave a review.
> 
> On a side note, I've created a timeline of past events that is subject to change due to a certain character, but we'll cross that road when we get there. So, I don't see too much harm in revealing it here in the beginning. Then again, it might not change at all or it might end up being completely different. That's for me to know and for you to eventually find out.
> 
> 1978: Eurasia Sky Disaster  
> 1991: [Redacted]  
> 1994: 4th Holy Grail War  
> 1995: [Redacted]  
> 1997: White Knight Incident  
> 2004: 5th Holy Grail War  
> 2008: Present


End file.
